Combined rail joint and chair



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H O BENAGH COMBINED RAIL JOINT AND CHAIR.

No; 560,118. Patented May 12, 1896.

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Afro/WW5 WITNESSES (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. O. BENAGH.

COMBINED RAIL JOINT AND UHAIR.

No. 560,118. Patented May 12, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. BENAGH, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

COMBINED RAIL JOINT AND CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,118, dated May 12, 1896.

Application filed January 14,1896. Serial No. 575,521. (No model.)

To aZZ whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BENAGH, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Combined Rail Joint and Chair, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a combined joint and chair for rails, and it primarily has for its object to provide an improvement of this character of a simple but effective construction that will tighten when the weight of a car is on the rail and be, as it were, an automatic working clamp and girder or chair fastening for a railroad-joint making a continuous rail.

My invention also has for its object to provide chair devices for the purposes stated which can be used with or without fish-plates or splice-bars, and in which the several parts are so constructed and relatively arranged that there will be practically no thrust or bearing strain on the bolts as the car passes over the rail, thereby avoiding danger of the bolts breaking.

lVith other minor objects in View, which will hereinafter be referred to, my invention consists in the peculiar combination and novel arrangement of parts, such as will be first described in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my improvement, the same being adapted to be used in connection with rail-joints having fishplates. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, the parts being shown in their normal position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the several parts in their depressed position. Fig. atis a detail view of a portion of one of the rocker-chairs, having its end cut away to reduce the weight of material therein. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of my improved rail-chair, showing the same provided with clamp or fish-plate members; and Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of a chair portion, hereinafter referred to.

My invention, while embodying a combined structure of rail joint and chair, more especially relates to an improved construction of chair or joint-block,such as most clearly illustrated on Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings, by reference to which it will be seen the chair consists of a pair of joint-blocks A A, made solid, either of a malleable or cast iron body, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or a skeleton-like plate-steel body, formed in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 6. Each of the joint-blocks has its bottom or cross-tie bearing portion made with two faces B and 0, arranged at obtuse angles to each other, one of which, 0, however, is of such an angle that when the said blocks A A are in their normal position they will seat flatly upon the cross-tie D and form the bearingbase for the block.

The upper face of the blocks A A' is formed with an inner horizontal or tread portion E and an outer depressed or concaved portion 6, which terminates at the hook or clamp member F of the block, which is adapted to project over and engage the upper face of the base-flange g of the rail when such rail has the usual fish-plate members H, as shown on Sheet 1.

The base portions of the blocks A have horizontal vertical flanges or faces a which when such blocks are at their normal position abut, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the side portions of the blocks being concaved to reduce the weight of such blocks.

The block or joint member A has a series of bosses A having horizontal apertures (r to receive the head ends of the tie-bolts J, the nut ends of which are adapted to pass through the apertures a in the bosses A of the sections A, such apertures and (0 being made slightly conical or tapering to permit of a free movement of the sections A A vertically without danger of breaking or snapping the bolts.

In practice the sections A A are held from lateral displacement on the ties by the ordinary spikes, which are, however, not driven down tight, so as to admit of a slight vertical movement of the outer flanges a a From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that the construction and arrangement of the chair members A A is of such a nature that when the weight of the car is on them they will assume the position shown in Fig. 3, the clamp members F F being the more tightly clamped against the flanges of the rail as the rail bears on the blocks A A in such a manner that they will rock inward,

the points a; being the fulcrum, thereby automatically making the joint or chair for the rail the tightest and most secure at the time it tured bosses, may be cut away or reduced, as

indicated at N in Fig. 4, and thereby materially lighten the blocks without the least impairing their strength.

In Fig. 5 I have shown my improved jointblocks provided with integral fish-plate or clamp members L L, such form of combined chair and clamp being used when the rails are not provided with the usual fish or joint plates.

By providing the chair-blocks with clamp portions L L it will be readily understood that the .down pressure of the rail will cause the blocks A A to rock inward and the portion Z of the .clamp press tightly on the flange of the rail, while the portion Z bears tightly against the web in the direction indicated by the arrows 20 20.

Manifest-1y other variations in the details of structure may be made from that shown without departing from the broad idea of my invention, the essential features of which appear in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A joint block or chair comprising'a pair of blocks each having clamp portions to engage the flanges of the rail, depressions in the top at the clamp ends their base portions be ing provided with a rocker-bearing, and nut and bolt devices for holding the said blocks from lateral displacement as specified.

2. The combination with the rail and the tie of the j oint-blocks A A, having the tread portion on the upper face terminating at the end in depressions,and clamp members adapted to project over and engage the flanges of r the rail such blocks having rocker-bearings on the tie whereby to draw inward at their upper end as the car passes over them, and thereby cause the clamp members to tightly clamp the rail-flanges and nut-bolt devices connecting the blocks said blocks all arranged as shown and for the purposes described.

3. The combination with the rail and the cross-tie, of the sections A A, having the rest portions for the rail terminating at the outer ends in depressions and clamp members, adapted to lap over and engage the top of the rail-flanges, and having their base portions provided with rocker-bearings at a point outside the normal rest portion for the rails, and bolt and nut devices for connecting the blocks, said blocks having a limited free vertical play on the bolt as specified.

HENRY G. BENAGH.

*itnesses:

WM. SHOOP, J. E. KEAGES. 

